On Making Films

When the going gets tough,
the tough call Action!

On Making Films

When the going gets tough,
the tough call Action!

Close up of a young African woman smiling into the camera.

The Making of The Night Dancer

This post talks about how I made The Night Dancer short film, discussion the Dance Choreography, creating the music, the themes, and technical process of animation and motion capture, as well as filming day-for-night filming.

A 3D digital render of a robot that looks like it has been welded at a local blacksmith's shop, against a colorful background.

The solarpunk ideas I’ll explore in my new film

Before writing the screenplay, I clarify my thoughts on the ideas and technologies I want to present, starting with the concept of a cosmopolitan village, and then a vision for direct democracy and the justice system. I also talk of labour in a non-capitalist world, and healthcare. I discuss the hardware that will enable this universe to flourish, including open-source communication, factory-level 3D printer, buscycle, pedal-tractor, food processor, and biophotovaltic solar panels.

An African woman in a dance position, her body arched backwards, and she looks direct into the camera. It's a blue color scheme

Lajok The Night Dancer

The Night Dancer is a revenge fantasy short film, where a woman learns a powerful kind of dance to bring a man who does her wrong to justice.

Two African women, a young teenager and an older woman, stare at something off screen, while a robot peeps from behind their shoulders.

Wind: A Solarpunk Short Film

I’m making a new short film, which I’ll release on my PeerTube channel. It is a final target practice for a feature film (titled Big Tree) that I intend to …

Digital art of a metallic creature that has a humanoid face

On Prophecy and Writing About The Future

Recent events in Nepal, where they overthrew an authoritarian and voted in a new prime minister using social media, have me wondering if my writings are prophetic. I reflect on this, and talk about my coming films.

A screenshot of a monster in a film, the effect made by cutting cardboard into shapes for eyes and teeth, and shining a light from behind it.

The First Film I Ever Made

I share experiences about the first film I ever made, way back in 2006, and this film is available now on my new peertube instance. I talk about setting that up as well.

A 3D image of an African woman, wearing an elaborate necklace and arm bands.

Support The Night Dancer Short Film

I’m making a new short film, The Night Dancer, a revenge fantasy that explores the magical power of dance, based on Luo mythology. This blog is a call for patrons to support my efforts.

A girl in a yellow dress stands in a room with white walls, staring at a jigsaw puzzle on the floor. The wind blows the curtains.

The Plight of African Filmmakers Seeking Film Funds

As I researched crowdfunding options for my next feature film, Big Tree, it pissed me off to discover that all major platforms, including kickstarter, backerkit, and indiegogo, allow creators only from certain countries to set up campaigns. Yet, anyone anywhere can give them money? Funny. I’m considering crowdfunding as an alternative to traditional film finance, for I’m struggling to get the attention of film gatekeepers.

A young woman in a yellow dress and a young girl in a print african dress in a scene in a film, staring at something off screen. White walls in the background with a few photos and paintings on it.

About the film collective I founded

Why I created the film collective I picked the name Sisi Film Collective after asking for opinions, including a poll in the fediverse. People liked the sound of Sisi, which …

A black man in his twenties holding a digital camera, the canon mv890. The camera is in the foreground, hiding his face such that only the eyes are visible.

When Film Imitates Art

I wrote this article in 2013, for an online journal, and well, someone asked me how I started out recently and I promised to give her this article because it …

A film training session, a woman with her back to the camera, holding a Rode NTG-2 Microphone, wearing Sony Headphones

On film training and why I love mentoring emerging artists

I’m celebrating 10 years in film business and marking the moment with a series of blog posts on my journey. In this article I reflect on why I offer free mentorship and training to emerging filmmakers.

A woman using a mobile phone, set on a tripod, to film

Why my film crew is full of women

I’m celebrating ten years in arts business with a series of blog posts, and in this one I discuss why I have so many women in my film crew, and some of the challenges I face.

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